Wolf People
by Aeshna Lacrymosa
Summary: Seven years after Leah Clearwater promised herself to go to community college, she moves to Shoreline to do just that. But there, she also meets an Inuit man named Nanuq, who keeps as many secrets as she does.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs.

**Author's Note:** "Wolf People" remains my most popular fic to date, but I would appreciate more reviews. This story gets more readers than the others so I would like to know if you like it or not or whatever you think about it. Peace!

**_Freedom, At Last_**

Exhausted from moving all of her things in her new apartment in Shoreline, Leah Clearwater lay in her bed and stared at the cracked ceiling for several minutes. Closing her eyes, she listened to the people chattering in the streets—friends exchanging stories, vendors selling their wares, impatient drivers yelling at slow-moving pedestrians … Forks and La Push weren't as busy as Shoreline; this felt like an entirely different world in itself.

Leah had gotten herself a job at a café in Shoreline. It was a small occupation, but it would sustain her while studying in Shoreline Community College for a course in Phlebotomy.

It had taken Leah seven years and all of her determination to control her phasing; she hadn't transformed into a wolf in three years. She felt it was about time she'd start moving on with her real life again. Leah still had her superhuman senses and healing ability. She also hadn't resumed menstruating yet. But she had ceased telepathic contact with her "brothers", and her temperature had cooled to normal human proportions. She let her hair grow past her shoulders. The residue of her powers made it clear that she was not about to resume aging yet, but having her thoughts all to herself again seemed like a good start.

Sam and Jacob had been especially worried; Leah had always been pretty sure of herself, so they couldn't quite trust that she was ready to leave La Push and go on her own. But there was no stopping Leah: she had already been accepted before she had even told them of her plans.

"What, can't nine of you handle vampires without me?" she had quipped after Sam and Jacob attempted to convince her not to go. Later recognizing that he could no longer make her stay, Jacob built Leah a van as a parting gift.

Seth, on the other hand, was supportive as usual. But it was only at breakfast on the day that Leah was leaving that he showed any hint of sadness. "I'm gonna miss you, sis," he had told Leah when he was about to finish his cereal. Leah gave him a hug; it was all she could give him and all he could get after their mother had died in her sleep two years earlier.

Seth had always been more affectionate than Leah was, but he tended to be a tad more reserved when it comes to her; he had never even defended her when everyone in the wolf pack had cast her as the bad guy in the Emily/Sam/Leah drama. But she could let Seth off for that time; he had been too young to understand what it was like to have your heart broken like that. Once again thankful that her mind was no longer accessible to anyone else, Leah reminded herself that apart from living her own life, she really left La Push to no longer see Sam or Emily again. Smirking, she wondered if she should ever return to La Push at all.

This idea put her in a rather good mood. This persisted as she stopped by a café below the apartment and read the March 2010 issue of the _National Geographic_ magazine over iced coffee.

"Hi," said a man no older than twenty-eight years old. At first glance, he looked either Mongolian or even Tibetan. His untidy chin-length hair framed his round face. He had a faint mustache over the corners of his mouth and a small patch of a beard that looked more like a shadow. A camera pouch hung from a sling around his thick neck, which brought attention to his stocky build. He bore a very vague resemblance to Leah's late father, that she thought he must be Native American like herself, rather than Tibetan. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"No, go ahead," said Leah, giving him a friendly smile.

The young man smiled back. Then, he picked up his camera and scanned his recent photos. After Leah sipped from her glass three more times, the young man spoke again: "I've read that issue. A photograph of Inupiat wolf dancers in the back caught my attention."

Curious, Leah checked the back of the magazine to see the Flashback column, featured eight Inuit people, four of whom wearing wolf masks. "_Participants in the Inupiat eagle-wolf dance honored slain animals, sending their spirits home to ensure future hunting success.__It was a performance so real that it was difficult to believe that they were simply men wearing wolf masks_," read Leah. "With masks like that, it's not surprising."

"Have you seen it?" said the young man.

"I've seen enough wolves dancing in La Push," said Leah bitterly.

"Oh, you're a Quileute," said the young man, "the wolf people."

Leah grinned at him. "Was showing me that photo your way of telling me you're Inuit?"

"Yeah—_Inupiat_, actually," clarified the man. "I'm Reuben Nanuq, but I prefer being called Nanuq." He held out his hand for her.

"Leah Clearwater," said Leah, shaking his hand. "If you're Inuit, how did you get all the way down here in Washington, Nanuq?"

"I've been living alone here in Shoreline for a while now," said Nanuq. "I ran away from our village in Alaska and settled in Seattle for about a few years before moving to Shoreline. I also work here. How about you?"

"I want to get away, that's all. So, to make myself useful, I enrolled in community college."

"You must be really lucky to be able to do that just 'coz you want to."

Leah grimaced slightly upon noticing the persistently bitter tone in Nanuq's voice. Nanuq must have sensed it, too, and he hastily apologized. "Once you make me talk, I just blab away. I momentarily forgot that we've known each other for but a few seconds," he said sheepishly.

"You must be happy to be here," guessed Leah.

"Yeah, you could say that," agreed Nanuq.

"I'm glad to be here, too. I'm glad to meet you," said Leah.

Nanuq rested his chin on his hand and grinned at Leah. "Leah Clearwater, isn't it? What's it like in La Push?"

Leah leaned back thought about it for a moment. Life in La Push had never been unexciting. To some extent, it was even fun. It was only the nearly constant bullying that she'd gotten from the boys that made her stay there unbearable. The only thing that relieved her from it was Jacob's respect for her. Other than that, she didn't have a friend that could at least sympathize with her. Jacob was just one, but most of the time, he was just too busy hanging out with Renesmée to help her get her mind off Sam and Emily.

Smiling, she began, "La Push is near the sea, and that's where I like to go when I want to get away from worries. Sometimes, I'd go at the edge of the cliff and watch birds fly by me. That's where I could relax, where I could just close my eyes and listen to waves crashing against the bottom of the cliff way below me."

"That's beautiful," said Nanuq.

"What's Alaska like?"

"I lived in a village in the Anaktuvuk Pass in the North Slope Borough of Alaska."

"The North Slope … it must be cold up there!"

"Extremely cold," said Nanuq. "It's so cold that so few of us live there. It's beautiful, yeah—the mountains loom over us like bears. Living there is no joke. Let's leave it at that. So I moved here."

"Has life been good to you since?"

"Yes, I could say it has," said Nanuq solemnly. "But your life didn't sound as crappy. Why d'you move out?"

"You'd be surprised." It was Leah's turn to be bitter. But Nanuq didn't ask her about it. Perhaps he thought it was too early to get so personal.

"If you ask me," he said; his face lighting up instantly as he picked up his camera, "nothing makes me happier than capturing a beautiful moment that will never happen again."

Leah couldn't help but smile a little when Nanuq's little speech fueled her mind with images of striking sunsets—each never exactly as beautiful as the next. A sudden bright flash of light startled her. Nanuq was grinning at her. "You're gorgeous," he said.

Leah beamed at the unexpected compliment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs. My OCs are Nanuq, Verne and Verne's boyfriend.

**Author's Note:** "Wolf People" remains my most popular fic to date, but I would appreciate more reviews. Whether you like the story or not, please, do not hesitate to say what you think. Peace!

**_Of All People_**

The first week in the community college was relatively uneventful. Most of Leah's classes on the first week covered the basics on the human body and its chemical components. By Friday, she was looking forward to having to apply for training in some hospital somewhere. As she boarded the elevator to the fourth floor, she saw a man racing toward the closing doors. Leah instantly pushed the "OPEN" button to let the man in.

"Thanks, Leah," he said, taking off his hat.

"Nanuq, I didn't know you live here," said Leah.

"My apartment's at the fifth floor," he said, pushing the "5" button. "I could see you live at the fourth." The "4" button was already lit.

"How come this is the only time I've seen you?" asked Leah.

"I run a photo studio a couple of blocks from here," I said, "so whenever I'm here, I spend most of the time developing photos or sleeping."

That explained how tired he looked. He must have lacked several hours of sleep, judging from his bloodshot eyes. But that didn't explain the strange odor emanating from him—something toxic, maybe. "You smell funny," said Leah, unable to resist.

"It must be the stop bath," he answered shortly.

Moments later, the doors opened again; Leah stepped off the elevator. "See you around," said Nanuq. Leah looked behind her to see Nanuq waving cheerfully at her. But just as the doors closed, Nanuq kept them open with his hands. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? It's been a while since I've eaten with somebody," he said.

"Why not?" said Leah, smiling politely at him.

That evening, Leah put on boots, torn jeans and a parka. Satisfied with her appearance, she met with Nanuq at the mezzanine. He looked more presentable than he had been at the elevator; he'd pinned his hair up, keeping his face clear. He wore a long brown coat over a carmine red button-down shirt and cargo pants and sneakers.

"There's a good pizza parlor around the block," he said.

The pizza parlor was indeed a short walk from the apartment building. Along the way, they passed by a few shops and eateries, and one establishment that was unmistakably a club.

"It's really so nice of you to invite me to dinner," said Leah. "This is a great way to finish the week. I'm tired now. But I'm so glad to spend some time with somebody else."

"Well, I usually spend my time alone. I like to break the monotony once in a while," said Nanuq casually as they entered the pizza parlor.

Leah didn't know Nanuq at all, so she couldn't be sure whether he was particularly delighted about tonight or that he was simply being friendly. Nonetheless, she was quite pleased.

While eating their classic pizza, Nanuq was doing most of the talking. "… and the kid had a massive temper tantrum. It took a while to calm her down. I had a splitting headache that night," he told her. "And believe me; that kind of situation happens _a lot_. You know how kids grow up quickly. Families like to take pictures as frequently as they can. … Okay, I'm rambling. You haven't told me anything about you."

Leah didn't have as much to say. She felt there was nothing really worth telling, because there was almost nothing interesting that happened to her life in La Push that didn't involve a gang of men that turned into wolves.

"Well, I guess my family is pretty normal," she began awkwardly. "I had a great mom who took care of my brother and me. She was pretty stern. I guess that's what I inherited from her. My dad's the opposite. He was laid back and he loved to have fun. He loved fishing and hunting and hiking. He married a bit late, so he was pretty old by the time I was a teenager. He died when I was nineteen—h-heart attack." Leah choked the last sentence out. Tears blurred her vision. She tried to keep a straight face, and she blinked the tears off.

Her eyesight cleared up again. Nanuq looked awed. "I'm sorry about your father," he said softly. "But you know … a lot of people could barely even imagine that kind of life. I've seen it."

"You wouldn't be saying that I'm being petty …" said Leah, surprised by Nanuq's response.

"Oh, no, that's not what I'm saying at all," said Nanuq, smiling pleasantly. "I like that you sound so happy telling me about your family. I just think that although your dad died—although that's terrible and all—it's good that you have others with you. I know for a fact that it's something that a lot of … it's something that _I_ can barely imagine."

Nanuq looked like he had been waiting to express this for so long. With a small smile, he gazed upon Leah's face, waiting for her to answer.

"Really?" said Leah. She felt ashamed somehow. For years, she had been moping over lost love, and now, here was somebody who had been through more and still became friendly enough to smile at her and have dinner with her. "Why, what was your family like?"

"I ran away from home when I was seventeen," said Nanuq. "It was no big deal. … It was hard for me, but it was a lot better than home, where my family died from drugs and alcohol."

Leah was stunned; not only by the grim revelation but also by how casually Nanuq said it. "All of them?—they all _died_?" she asked.

"One after the other," said Nanuq, glancing at the window to look at his faint reflection. "When my youngest siblings were sent away to be adopted, I made a run for it. Along the way …" Nanuq paused, trying to recall something significant.

"What happened when you ran away?" asked Leah.

"I hitched a ride on a log truck going to Anchorage," said Nanuq. "When we eventually arrived in Anchorage, I left and went out of his way."

"I'm guessing things went uphill for you from there, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much," said Nanuq happily. "I got myself a job as a clerk at a little bookstore. The black women who owned the shop figured I was homeless so they let me live with them for a while. They let me leave them when I've saved enough money to move out and go to Seattle. As a parting gift, they gave me a camera."

"And that's how you discovered your love for photography?"

Nanuq smiled fondly and nodded. "When I came to Seattle, I rented a small apartment and looked for jobs as a photographer for periodicals. Eventually, I got employed at the Seattle paper and worked there for five years. After that, I decided I wanted to do something else, so I resigned, moved to Shoreline and founded my own studio."

"That's wonderful," said Leah. "I hope things would work out well for me too."

"Why not?" said Nanuq, still smiling at her.

#

In the days that followed, Leah only got to call Nanuq once in his studio. He sounded delighted to hear her. But he warned her that he would be busy for the next few days and promised to call back. Five days after their dinner together, he hadn't called. Leah expressed her annoyance about this to a colleague and newfound pal, a girl named Verne, when the café closed.

Verne tossed her white blonde hair, which had red strands that made it look almost pink. She was a gorgeous girl; Leah couldn't help but wonder what she looked like without makeup. But Verne was anemic and needed the makeup. Leah thought Verne's huge blue eyes made her look pretty enough. Flirty and vivacious, she brought Leah along with her at a nightclub, where a local band was playing. The drummer was Verne's boyfriend.

"So, what does he do for a living anyway? If he's, like, a journalist or something, you can't expect him to have that much free time …" said Verne, sipping her martini.

"That's a pretty close guess, but he's a photographer, and his studio has to close every night, right?" said Leah.

"Good point," said Verne. "You know, Leah, this is very easy. You can just call him and let him know that you want to get together again sometime. If he responds the way you expect him to, he's really interested in you and just doesn't communicate frequently for a good reason."

"I hope Nanuq does have a good reason," said Leah softly.

"Did you say _Nanuq_? Do you mean _the_ Nanuq?—_that_ photographer?" asked Verne.

"Yeah," said Leah uncertainly.

"Um, there's something that you might not know about him."

"Of course, there are things I don't know about him. I just met him."

"That's not what I meant!" said Verne, her already large pale blue eyes widening even more. "The guy's a _drug addict_."

Leah frowned at her friend, disbelieving. "He told me was, but he never said anything about _still_ being one. Are you sure this isn't just some neighborhood gossip? Didn't I just tell you that I had dinner with the guy and we had a good time?"

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" asked Verne, who glanced at Leah's body.

"We did not _do_ anything, if that's what you're thinking! We had dinner, that's all."

"Well, I suggest you just don't give this guy a chance with you—bad company, you know," said Verne, shrugging.

Leah took a swig of her beer. She sighed sadly as she put her mug down. Finally, she met a guy who was actually decent behind his rugged look. She had been looking forward to a promising friendship, and maybe more. She really liked Nanuq. Somehow, he gave her hope for a normal life: no vampires, no shape-shifting; just regular human affairs and the ups and downs that came with them. She gulped down the beer again, bitterly wondering how normal she could possibly be if she still hadn't bled yet. It had been seven years since the first time she had transformed into a wolf; her body made it clear that it was not possible for her to have children.

"Hey, baby," said a man's voice. It belonged to a remarkably handsome man with dark blond hair and gray eyes. "I was gonna offer to buy you a drink but you already have some. Are you sure you can finish that?"

"I have no problem with beer, thanks," said Leah sullenly.

"Having a bad day, aren't you?"

"Why do you care?" asked Leah flatly.

The guy looked taken aback, but he understood that he couldn't push his luck on this lady.

"Leah!" hissed Verne, who elbowed her friend. "What did you do that for? He was cute!"

"I'm really just not that much of a people person, I guess."

#

The next day, as she was preparing for work, Leah got a call from a rather anxious Nanuq.

"Leah, oh, thank goodness, you're still home!" he said.

"Actually, I'm just about to go to work," said Leah grumpily.

"Leah, listen," said Nanuq, "you're the only one I could think of when they said I could make a call. So please, just bear with me and I'll give you all the details later. I promise."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Leah angrily. Verne's warnings about Nanuq echoed in her head. _Who_ said he could 'make a call'?

"Leah, please! I need you to do me a favor. Go to my apartment, 515; I have a spare key on top of the door's header. Once inside, look into my closet and grab just any top and bottom you can find. Then, bring the clothes to me in the King County Jail. _Please_, Leah, I'm counting on you!"

"Like hell I'm going all the way to Seattle for you!" shouted Leah.

"Leah, I could go now," said Nanuq as calmly as he could. "I'm paying fines for what I did. Now I could go home. I just need my own clothes."

"You owe me a good explanation, Nanuq! And you know what? I _will_ bring you your clothes. But I'll bring them to you _tonight_, when my shift is over!"

As promised, Leah went to Nanuq's apartment to get some clothes. But while browsing a stack of clean trousers, she found a bundle of palm-sized plastic packets of what looked like brown colored powder. Next to that, there was a box of syringes.

She picked Nanuq up from the county jail in Seattle.

"You're not his girlfriend, are you?" asked a pretty cop who was about Leah's age.

"No, I'm just a friendly neighbor," said Leah, forcing a smile as Leah handed Nanuq the paper bag containing his clothes. He was wearing only a bathrobe that had been lent to him.

Later, both Nanuq and Leah were very quiet on the way back to Shoreline. Halfway there, Leah spoke, "That was so embarrassing. I was only thankful I was only being nice to you. So let me get this straight: you were arrested for indecent exposure, huh?"

"Yes," said Nanuq shamefully.

"How _on earth_ did you end up getting found naked in the woods anyway?"

"I don't know," said Nanuq softly.

"Were you, like, _on_ something?"

"I wasn't on anything," said Nanuq calmly. "I don't remember anything. I just woke up, and the cops were taking me away."

"Nanuq, you can tell me the truth," said Leah patiently. "It's only the best way you can express your gratitude to me for bringing you your clothes."

"The thing is, I don't know what to tell you," said Nanuq sadly. "I just blacked out, I guess."

Leah tightened her hold on the wheel while she wondered whether to give him a chance.

"Does that happen to you often?" she asked.

"Yes," said Nanuq softly.

Leah sighed impatiently. "Nanuq, I like you." She said it as a fact. "I have since the first time you said hi to me and that night when we had dinner together. But if you still want us to be friends, you have to be honest with me."

She glanced at Nanuq, who was looking at her worriedly.

"You need help," continued Leah. "Even if you weren't under the influence, it's not normal to just end up naked on the streets, or in the woods."

"I'm not on drugs, Leah," said Nanuq quietly. "Something's just wrong with me."

Leah glanced at Nanuq again. He looked scared this time.

Before Leah could respond, Nanuq added, "You wouldn't understand if I tell you. I like you, too, and I don't want to drive you away."

"You will drive me away if you end up in jail one more time," said Leah. She grinned at him.

"Why would you feel that way about me?" asked Nanuq.

"I should ask you the same thing," said Leah. "Why did you think of calling me, of all people? I am honestly flattered you would trust me that much—once I got over the fact of you being in jail, that is. Let me also say that that is not a good place for me to see you again after days of not seeing or getting a call from you."

"I understand," whispered Nanuq. He looked away from Leah and watched houses, buildings and people passing by.

Whatever Nanuq didn't tell her, Leah decided to wait. After all, she herself had secrets to hide.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs. My OCs are Nanuq, Verne, Verne's boyfriend Jason and the café manager Mr. Mason.

**Author's Note:** "Wolf People" remains my most popular fic to date, but I would appreciate more reviews. Whether you like the story or not, please, do not hesitate to say what you think. Peace!

**_Something Real_**

College … library … laboratory … café—this had become Leah's routine, day after day, month after month. Leah's schedule and work load gradually became heavier, so she got to see Nanuq less and less. So she got to hang out more with Verne, whose usually fair skin became spotted with pimples due to stress; she was taking up Communication Studies in the Seattle University College of Arts and Sciences.

But the following week, Verne did not go to work. Leah would have thought Verne only took a short vacation if Mr. Mason, the manager, hadn't notified Leah of her friend's absence.

"She must be sick," suggested Leah.

"Too sick to warn me?—I don't think so," said Mr. Mason.

At the end of that week, Leah got a call from Verne's boyfriend Jason, who told her that she hadn't come home all week. More weeks followed. Verne's presence was replaced by hundreds of "missing" posters of her.

Later, Leah met Nanuq again at the elevator. Like on the night they first had dinner together, he smelled funny. He also looked very sick, breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. Hissing, he squeezed his own arms through his jacket.

"Nanuq, are you okay?" asked Leah.

Nanuq opened his eyes, but his gaze was fixed on the light at the ceiling.

"Nanuq, can you hear me?" Leah tried again, leaning forward to face him.

In a barely audible whisper, Nanuq said, "I'm fine."

The doors opened at the fourth floor, but Leah refused to get off. "No, you're not. Do you want to go to the hospital or something?" she suggested, gently grasping his right shoulder.

Nanuq didn't answer. Instead, he shrugged off her hand and marched out of the elevator when it reached his floor. Leah went after him. "Nanuq, come with me! How do you expect to get well if you stay in your room?" she said, as he hurried away from her.

"Leave me alone, Leah!" shouted Nanuq, as he unlocked his door.

"I am not leaving you alone when you're like that!"

Nanuq ran into his apartment. But in his hurry, he forgot to close the door. He was clearly panicking as he rummaged his drawers for something.

"I'm calling 911," said Leah, who went to his living area in search for a phone. "I'll get them to put you in rehab."

"NO!" growled Nanuq.

Leah felt Nanuq's hand gripping her shoulder tightly as he turned her around and then shoved her, putting her off balance. Leah barely recovered herself from the fall when Nanuq grabbed her arm and picked her up. "Get out, or I swear, I will hurt you!" he roared.

Leah tried to push him away, but he was too strong. Her own superhuman strength had faded away. "I'm trying to help you, don't you see?"

"You can't help me!" he shouted, as he tossed her out of the door.

Thankfully, everybody in the floor was at work or school. Leah wasn't hurt; she was only stunned that Nanuq had manhandled her. She made her way back to her own apartment and watched TV to take her mind off the scene at Nanuq's apartment.

Later, while Leah was eating mashed potatoes, Nanuq turned up at her door.

"What's your excuse?" she snapped.

"If I knew this would happen, I would have told you when you asked," he said sadly.

"What, that you were a junkie? I'm sorry, Nanuq, but that doesn't really change anything."

"Leah, I would never hurt you!"

"You just did!"

"That wasn't me!" said Nanuq desperately.

Sighing impatiently, Leah began to close the door, but Nanuq kept it open with his hand. "Leah, I swear, I wasn't myself. I—I'd never hurt you!" he stammered.

"Call me when you come up with a better excuse," said Leah, and she shut the door.

#

From the café where she worked, Leah was to pass through a park to get to the other side of the block. At that hour, the park was deserted. Dewdrops sparkled like stars against the cool grass, which had a pretty jade color in the pale glow from the full moon at the zenith. Leah spotted a figure of a woman hurrying into the woods nearby.

Curious, Leah followed her. When she got a little closer, she recognized the woman's hair, the shape of her head. "Verne?" called Leah. The woman turned around; indeed, it was Leah's friend. But this Verne looked paler but more beautiful than ever. Her bright red irises bore a stark contrast against her fair skin. Like a cat meeting a dog, Verne hissed at Leah.

Both unable and unwilling to transform into a wolf, Leah pleaded, "Verne, it's me, Leah!"

Leah could only back away as Verne advanced. But Verne wasn't able to come closer than seven feet from Leah. There was a big white blur, like a rushing bus, that obscured Leah's vision for a moment. Whatever it was, it was huge and hairy, like a bear, but with a long tail. The strange creature dashed away, dragging Verne along. Panicking, Leah ran away from the woods.

Once safe in her apartment, she wept bitterly, knowing that her friend was dead.

Leah returned to the woods the next day. She brought a lighter with her. The white hairy creature was nowhere in sight, but Leah found pieces of Verne's body. Leah dug a shallow pit, put the pieces in it and set it on fire. Leah waited until the flames had faded and left only ash. As she watched the embers die, she wondered how many vampires were left lurking around King County. Adding to her grief, she wondered it if was worth it to summon her shape-shifting powers again.

Two nights later, Nanuq noticed Leah looking particularly lonesome and decided to invite her to eat out again. She looked haggard when she answered the door.

"Hi, Leah," he said, awkwardly waving at her. "Would you like to dine out with me tonight?"

She smiled weakly; she was so depressed she had forgotten being angry with Nanuq. "Mind if I clean myself up first?" she said, her voice breaking.

"By all means," he said, grinning. "I'm taking you somewhere special."

This time, he brought her to a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant to celebrate the success of a wedding his studio had been hired to document. But Leah wasn't in the mood for joy. She was staring at a "missing" poster at the door showing a gorgeous Verne. "Is she a friend of yours?" asked Nanuq. "She's on the papers and milk cartons too."

"I haven't read the papers; what does the news say?" asked Leah.

"The police could find no trace of her," said Nanuq cautiously. "It's as if their clues all lead to a dead end. It's not unlike what happened about seven years ago in Seattle—that was crazy."

"What about sightings of a huge bear-like creature?—are there any news on that?"

Nanuq looked puzzled. "What, you mean like what happened at Clallam County shortly before the weird killings and disappearances in Seattle? No, there are no such sightings here."

Leah nodded, satisfied with the answer. But she sighed as she ate her seafood paella. Nanuq ate his grilled squid in equal silence.

Later, as they returned to the apartment building, Nanuq held Leah's hand. His grip was firm and warm. It was not unlike Sam's, but it was much more comforting.

"Leah," said Nanuq, squeezing Leah's hand gently, "I wish I never hurt you." There was a look of despair and deep sorrow on his face.

"I know," said Leah softly.

His eyes flitted in every direction, as though trying to get an idea for what to say next. "I don't know what to do. I don't have a choice. I _can't_ go to rehab even if I want to. But I do want to," he said. "The stories are all the same. It's happened to my family and to many others in our village. I don't want it to happen to us. I don't want to lose you because of my habit.

"I've been taking heroin for ten years. _I need it_." Nanuq looked like he could panic. But he took a deep breath and went on, "I need it. But when I'm with you, I feel alive. My love for photography is no match for the joy I feel when I'm with you. And it feels more real to me than anything because, I can see that you feel the same way."

Leah reached up and combed his hair with her fingers. "Yes, I do."

The two stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, they wrapped each other in a tight embrace. Leah kissed Nanuq's mouth. At that moment, they weren't sure whether the elevator's ascension was the only thing that gave them a thrilling sensation.

When the doors opened again at the fourth floor, Leah almost hurt to break away from the kiss. She could feel her skin tingling, her lips tender and aching to be touched again. But Nanuq grabbed her arm and got off with her. This desire was too strong—even more intense than the most painful withdrawal possible. Nanuq reaffirmed: this was something real. He sealed her mouth with his lips again. If his mouth weren't so busy, he would be screaming, "I'm alive! I'm alive!"

Leah turned away from him once, only to unlock her door. She went inside, followed by Nanuq, who took off his jacket. He was thinner than she had expected. His arms bore unsightly scars and bruises from regular injections. But neither of them minded. Their mouths met once more. Leah desperately wrapped her arms around Nanuq's firm back. She could feel his heart beating savagely against her own. Nanuq's hand reached underneath Leah's tank top, exploring the smooth skin on her belly and her waist and her back. Leah also traced the shape of his torso with her hands. Then, she impatiently pulled off his shirt and kissed the center of his chest, right where his heart was.

Nanuq thought that if it was possible to die from sheer happiness, it would be the best way to go. But he didn't want this to end yet. Neither did Leah, who guided his hands to her body, compelling him to undress her, giving one kiss to each uncovered part. Leah did the same for him. Later, with no kind of barrier keeping them apart, they laid on the couch, embraced again, and then marveled in such highs no drug could provide.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs. My OCs are Nanuq, Verne, Verne's boyfriend Jason and the café manager Mr. Mason.

**Author's Note:** Whether you like "Wolf People" or not, please, do not hesitate to say what you think. Peace!

**_Coming Unannounced_**

The sky grew lighter in color as the sun announced its ascent with an ominous pink glow at the eastern horizon. Dim light shone on the two figures on Leah's bed. Leah was lying on her back. Nanuq's arm rested over her chest, and his leg curled over hers. The warmth of his body next to hers felt deliciously comforting. Leah smiled, enjoying the pressure of his chest against her bare breast. Leah listened to his gentle, regular breathing; before long, she dozed off again.

When she woke up, Nanuq was gone. In his place, he left a note:

_Off to work. Have a nice day. I love you._

Leah went to class feeling a little less lonely. The first snow fell before noon, cheering her up a little more.

#

Sleet was falling that night, and Leah was glad to have to stay home; the café was closed. While studying, Leah heard a knock on the door. Nanuq was there.

"What brings you here?" asked Leah.

"I got locked out," said Nanuq shyly. "I'm already tired and I decided I'll figure something out about my door tomorrow. So—may I stay the night with you? I'll sleep in the couch," he added hastily, when he noticed that she was holding a heavy-looking textbook.

"Would you mind if I could only lend you my jammies for the night?" asked Leah, opening the door wider.

"Yes—I mean, no, I don't mind. But I was actually thinking of just sleeping on the couch in this," he said, pointing at the clothes he was already wearing.

"I have two more sets of pajamas. It's okay." Leah marched toward the bathroom and opened the door. "The bathroom is right here, if you wanna take a shower."

"Thanks," said Nanuq, as Leah handed him a spare towel.

Later, Leah listened to the shower as she read her books. She couldn't concentrate very well. Instead, she was fantasizing spending the rest of her life with this man. She found it surprisingly easy to imagine. Making love with him had been so nice. She liked that he made it clear that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. Leah wondered if he felt the same way. Maybe he did; he did trust her enough to think of her first when he got in trouble.

When Nanuq finished bathing, he found Leah yawning over her book. It was already very late. Nanuq was drowsy himself, but as he tried to get comfortable on the couch, he couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure how long he stayed awake. Eventually, he did fall asleep, but Leah had still been at the table reading.

Sunlight was feeble the following morning. Leah and Nanuq had breakfast together.

"Nanuq, were we fighting the other day?" asked Leah, as she chewed on her cereal.

Nanuq, who was already dressed in his own clothes again, cringed as he remembered hurling Leah out of his door. "Yes," he groaned. "I threw a fit. I was panicking. I was going through a withdrawal. But I really shouldn't have done that to you."

"But why do you _need_ to take heroin? You kept saying that."

Nanuq wore a look of despair. He was at a loss of words. "There's—there's something wrong with me. Something happens to me …"

"Are you sure it's not a trip?"

"The heroin makes it bearable."

"It makes _what_ bearable? Come on, you can tell me."

But there was a loud knock on the door. Hoping it were just bills or advertisements, Leah opened the door. But there stood a tall and handsome but fierce-looking man. Leah had hoped she wouldn't see him again.

"Sam?"

"I came to see how you're doing," he said, smiling.

"You could have called," snapped Leah.

Sam's smile faded. Patiently, he said, "You wouldn't have let me come."

"Exactly!" said Leah irritably.

But Sam didn't move. His brow furrowed, like he did whenever he sensed a vampire's presence. "What's that smell?" he asked urgently.

"What smell?" asked Leah impatiently. Her superhuman senses had probably weakened by now; if there was anything suspicious, she would have handled it herself.

"Is there a problem, Leah?" asked Nanuq, who was unnerved by the big man at the door.

Sam didn't just look intimidating to Nanuq. As if by instinct, Sam held himself in an aggressive stance—shoulders square, head tilted forward. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"Don't behave like I owe you an explanation!" ordered Leah. "Okay, you've seen me—I'm fine—Nanuq slept over 'coz he got locked out of his apartment last night. Now, if that's all you need to know, feel free to leave."

"That would have been all if not for the _stink_ in this apartment," spat Sam, still scowling at Nanuq.

"Don't look at him like that!" shrilled Leah, shoving Sam in anger.

"It's neither vampire nor human, Leah," murmured Sam. "Don't you smell it?"

"No, I don't," said Leah. "My powers have been gradually dissipating since I let my wolf spirit go. You know that. I think you're making up an excuse to make me go home. Just because you can no longer read my mind doesn't mean you can start lying to me. There's nothing here worth getting alarmed about. Shoreline is not La Push; it's none of your business what happens here."

"It's you I can't just ignore! Your moving out of La Push is not a good idea, and Jacob agrees with me," argued Sam, who was struggling to keep his voice level.

Leah looked at Nanuq, who was becoming increasingly bewildered over the quarrel that was of no concern to him. "Nanuq, I think it's time for you to take care of your door," said Leah.

"I'll call you later," promised Nanuq, as he left hastily.

Turning away, Sam pursed his lips and wrinkled his nose as Nanuq passed by him. He straightened up once Leah's visitor closed the door.

"Let me get this straight," said Leah, putting her hands on her hips, "you'd prefer to let me see you cuddling with my cousin all the time rather than let me leave you alone?"

Sam was stung. But seeing his facial muscles twitch brought a corresponding twinge of pleasure in Leah's heart. "In case you don't know already, that's why I left La Push. It's the same reason I left your pack to join Jake's: to get away from you. I was so happy to not hear you thinking about Emily anymore. Doesn't it also relieve you that you won't hear me whining anymore?"

"Leah, you know that what I feel about you never changed," said Sam pathetically.

"What are you talking about?" said Leah. "You demonized me like everyone else! You never tried to tell the boys off when they complained about me; you just told me to shut up. If you ever wanted to show me what you really felt about me, you had seven years. And you blew it."

"Not long after you broke away from my pack, I tried to get you back."

"—by sending a messenger," pointed out Leah, remembering that fateful day when she, her brother Seth, and Jacob were patrolling near the Cullen house when Jared arrived, asking them on Sam's behalf, to return to Sam's pack. "You even had the nerve to make him call me _Lee-Lee_ and 'get down on one knee if I have to.' If I ever meant so much to you, _you would have come in person and begged on your knees yourself!_"

Worn out, Leah collapsed on the couch and broke down into tears. "Why do you do this to me, Sam? I left to let you go. Emily is the one for you. She wants you. I don't anymore. Now, get out! Go home! Let me live in peace!"

Sam looked positively hurt. Leah had always been honest and straightforward. It was her defining quality. She was to be taken seriously. Too hurt to say goodbye, he left.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs.

**Author's Note:** If you like "Wolf People," go ahead and say so; if not, tell me what you think anyway. I will return the favor by reading your own stories and reviewing them. ;)

**_Land of the Wolf People_**

Something didn't feel right during the following days. It wasn't just because Nanuq had neither been calling Leah nor answering her calls. It wasn't the first time, and there were plenty of possible good reasons. So why was she bothered now? When her shift was over, she indulged her urges to go to La Push. On the way there, Leah wished she hadn't brought along a large cup of cappuccino, which stood almost empty next to her seat. It was making her palpitate and grow warm.

When she arrived in La Push, the sun had set. Getting out of the van, Leah tried to summon what remained of her superhuman senses, but they had all diminished. Instead, she followed her intuition, entering the forest, hoping to find Seth or Jacob or the others. After having her skin scratched and her clothes torn by sharp twigs and slipping into mud puddles and slippery slopes several times, Leah heard snuffling noises from a short distance.

There was a clearing up ahead. There, she found all nine men-wolves of La Push surrounding the figure of Nanuq, whose wrists and ankles were tied to tent nails. "Leah!" called Nanuq. "Leah, help me!"

"Sam, what's going on?" asked Leah weakly at the largest wolf, the black one standing near her.

Sam and the others turned to her and growled. "Don't give me those looks!" snapped Leah. "Why are you doing this to him? Let him go."

The wolves kept growling and looked back at their captive. Leah ran toward Nanuq, but her brother Seth, the smallest grey wolf, tried to stop her, taking her trailing coat between his jaws. "Not you too, Seth!" said Leah, wriggling out of her coat. Seth tugged, hoping for a better grip of his sister, but her coat came off, letting her go to Nanuq without restraint.

"Leah, I have to get away from here!" said Nanuq.

"Why did they do this to you?" asked Leah, trying to untie one wrist.

Nanuq didn't answer. Leah glanced at him. Nanuq was now staring in horror at the eastern horizon. The full moon was rising. "Leah—Leah, you mustn't …" he stammered, snatching his wrist from Leah's hand.

But now, Nanuq couldn't speak. His face screwed up as if in pain, and his body began to convulse. One of the wolves dove and pulled Leah back by her pant leg.

"No! No, stop!" shouted Leah, as she clawed the snow in vain. The white stuff only slipped through her fingers like wet sand.

Nanuq was still convulsing on the ground. Then, he cried out and his body changed shape. Unlike the Quileute shape-shifters' abrupt transformations, Nanuq's was slow and visibly agonizing. They could all hear his bones cracking and his clothes tearing as he grew in size. Nanuq's screams turned into roars and growls. The bright moonlight made it easy for Leah to see long white hairs shooting out of his skin until he was covered in a dazzling white fur. He lifted his head. He had turned into a wolf. Except for his fierce face, he was almost invisible against the pure white snow. But if the Quileute shape-shifters were freakish enough for their enormous size, this one was even bigger than Sam, with more muscular shoulders and limbs and longer, sharper teeth, which it had bared. Unlike the members of the Quileute wolf packs, Nanuq's eyes did not retain their human softness; instead, his eyes were yellow, erasing any trace of humanity from him.

Then, three at a time, the Quileutes attacked. "No!" shrieked Leah. At once, she felt her own body transforming. She recognized the brief pain of her flesh and bones stretching until she was a gigantic wolf like the others, albeit the smallest one among them. Leah no longer cared how long she'd have to wait to control her powers again. She had to do something. She was not going to let them kill Nanuq.

Leah leapt on top of Sam and grabbed his shoulder with her jaws. Sam rolled on the ground trying to dislodge her. But she held on until she could taste his blood. She didn't let Sam throw her off until he was whimpering in pain.

_Leah, look out!_ Jacob's voice shouted. Leah looked to the right to see what was going on but she got face-to-face with Nanuq. His muzzle was wrinkled. His lips were pulled back to bare long, sharp teeth and red gums. Leah hadn't reacted quickly enough; Nanuq lunged and seized her throat. Leah tried to struggle from him. Her wolf brothers rushed to her aid. Once Nanuq found that the others were ganging up on him again, he let go of Leah and turned his attention to the others.

Seth gently nudged Leah with his snout. _Leah, are you alright?_

Leah waved her paw at him. _I'll be fine! Just—just don't kill him!_

_Seth, help! _Jacob shouted, just as the angry white wolf escaped from his aggressors and ran off into the forest, away from the reservation.

The Quileute wolves followed—Jacob, the one with russet-colored fur, in the lead—the trees obscured their view of the huge white figure. But they never lost track of its strong and musky scent. They followed the creature northward, across the Quillayute River. They were approaching Wentworth Lake when they heard the white wolf yelping. It howled. The Quileute wolves were going so fast they caught up with their "prey", only to lose him again when it went back southward. The boys followed it at once. Only Leah and Sam lingered for a moment to observe the forest floor thriving with beautiful violet blue flowers.

Leah didn't have time to examine them further. She had to assist her brothers and keep them from harming Nanuq.

_He's stopped_, said Quil Ateara's voice.

_Guys, keep distance_, Embry Call was saying.

Upon finding Jacob Black's recognizable russet fur, Leah stood next to him. _Look at him go!_ Jacob said, while they watched the white wolf wrestling with a black bear. Perhaps it was because of the trick of the light that with his white fur, Nanuq rivaled the bear in size. Not for long, he also outranked the bear in strength and managed to take it down.

Paul, the largest grey wolf, nudged Jacob's shoulder and nodded. Jacob understood it to mean "_Let's back off._" So they did. Leah felt a bit calmer now. The white wolf was just hungry. Perhaps when he's had his fill, he wouldn't harm anyone.

_Leah, if I didn't know better, I'd say you've imprinted on the white wolf_, said Jacob, while waiting for Nanuq to finish his meal. _It's about as creepy as Quil and me imprinting on children._

_Hey!_ Quil retorted.

_No, seriously, Quil_, continued Jacob._ Children of the Moon are immortal. This Nanuq guy could well be older than any of us._

_Leah, talk to us_, said Embry. _I almost felt your pain when you watched us attack the white wolf._

_Does it matter whether I imprinted on him or not?_ Leah asked impatiently.

Each of the boys grumbled, complaining that Leah became as grouchy as before. Leah had learned by now to not be affected by this. She cared about Nanuq. Nobody had made her feel comfortable and safe like he did. That was what counted. Magic—whether or not it played a part—had nothing to do with it.

Later, Nanuq finished eating. Nanuq was much calmer now that he had fed. He smacked his bloodstained jaws and trotted away. To everyone's horror, he was going toward La Push again. Sam made a leap toward Nanuq but only managed a half-made attempt, for Leah had gotten in his way, baring her teeth. The sudden movement behind Nanuq startled him and made him go as fast as he could. All the rest got to follow Nanuq, but Leah was confident that they couldn't catch up to him. She deliberately held Sam off; like her, he was one of the fastest runners among them. Sam grew angry at her and lunged. Leah leapt sideways to evade him and then bit him on the neck.

_Leah, stop bullying Sam!_ Jacob's voice said. _If you don't want us to hurt Nanuq, fine. Anyway, he just dove into the river._

Leah gladly obeyed and headed toward the river, where Quil, Embry, Seth and Jacob were waiting. Nanuq was no longer there. _Sam's pack members have gone on ahead. Shall we catch up?_ Jacob asked. Leah dove into the river. The others took that as a yes and followed suit.

On the other side, they heard howling from a distance. Hoping nobody was hurt, Jacob's pack followed the sound; Sam was tailing them. Leah picked up her pace until she could no longer see the others behind her.

At the reservation, Paul, Jared, Collin and Brady had already transformed back to their human forms, wearing only jean shorts. They were all resting at the Clearwater house's back porch. Below them, Nanuq the white wolf was sleeping, looking positively harmless.

"This guy just isn't interested in ripping us apart anymore," said Jared, when he saw the others.

Leah went straight to the front door. The others had the decency not to follow her there while she transformed back into a human. Since her transformation, all her powers had come back. Her temperature had risen again, making it too warm for her to wear more than one layer of clothes, even in early winter. When she returned outside wearing a grey tank top and denim cut-offs, the others had transformed back as well, all shirtless.

Sam had faint wounds on his neck and shoulders. "Sorry about that," said Leah, relieved that Sam couldn't hear her thoughts. "Jake, shall we let them rest?"

"Yeah, I guess five of us can handle this one," said Jacob.

"If there's any trouble, you'll hear us howling," suggested Embry.

Sam and his followers looked at each other and agreed. "I suppose we'll be taking turns watching over the creature," said Sam seriously.

"That's good enough for me," said Jacob.

The members of Sam's pack retreated, each casting a wary look on Nanuq. When they've all left, Leah asked, "Jacob, were you really going to kill him? Would you have done it if I hadn't arrived?"

"It's not just the safety of the tribe at stake, you know," said Jacob. "We couldn't let him reach the Cullen family. If they get involved, the Volturi would have to step in. We can't risk that."

"If Nanuq is really older than he looks, he must be really in control somehow. Nobody in Shoreline or Seattle has heard about a freak white wolf lurking around," said Leah. "But now I understand the monthly absences. For at least three days a month, he'd stop contacting me."

"I'm sorry we made you ruin your chances to live normally," Embry told Leah thoughtfully.

"I think I can handle it," said Leah. "I'm gonna have to. Both Nanuq and I have jobs in Shoreline. We have to go back tomorrow."

"Later today, you mean?" asked Embry.

"Yeah, my shift's on the evening," said Leah.

"Do you really have to go so soon? I mean—you're both pretty _unstable_ at the moment," said Jacob, who braced for an outburst from Leah as he said it.

But Leah did not respond violently. She didn't even respond at all. Leah only sighed to herself, thinking about what Jacob said. Sitting on the bench in the porch, she watched Nanuq sleeping.

Leah hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she was waking up again, a few hours later, when the moon was approaching the west horizon. Twilight was shining in the east, blotting out the stars.

She was alone in the porch. Seth must have led the others to sleep inside the house. Leah momentarily tuned in on their thoughts and found them all still dreaming—various memories mixed up to create otherworlds. Seth's was the most vivid; he was dreaming of the white wolf biting his sister's throat. _I suppose it looks more frightening on third-person point of view_, thought Leah.

The sun began to rise. Its rays shot through the trees. Once they touched Nanuq, the creature's white fur was shed; it seemed to melt like snow, until the creature's shape shrank and became distorted. The remains of the fur hung over Nanuq's naked body like a shredded cape. Leah hurried inside the house to fetch her father's burgundy-colored bathrobe for him.

When Leah covered him with the robe, Nanuq opened his eyes. He looked dazed. He was even a bit startled to see Leah over him.

"You're safe here, Nanuq," said Leah, combing his hair back with her fingers.

"Where am I?" asked Nanuq, sitting up.

"You're in La Push. This is my house," said Leah.

"La Push …" murmured Nanuq, his eyes sliding out of focus.

"Um, why don't you come inside? I'll fix us some breakfast."

Jacob and the boys awoke from the smell of cooking pancakes, later. Now bathed and fully dressed, Nanuq stirred his coffee at the table while waiting for Leah to finish the pancakes. Like a furious mother, Leah glowered round the boys, even as she served each of them a stack of pancakes. "Who started this kidnapping business? Was it Sam?" demanded Leah.

"Sam called me on the phone," explained Jacob hastily. "He said this guy is a werewolf, and when I caught his scent, I got scared. So I rallied the guys."

"And then, after bringing me to the forest, you transformed into wolves, before the sun even set," said Nanuq, glaring at each of the boys.

"We're not really werewolves, you see," explained Seth. "We're shape-shifters—skin-walkers."

"We just happened to turn into wolves because according to legend, that's how we Quileutes came to be. It's like returning to our 'original forms'—sort of," added Quil.

"You tried to kill me," said Nanuq darkly.

"We were scared, alright!" said Jacob shrilly.

"In all my years living in Seattle and Shoreline, I've managed to deal with my condition," said Nanuq with a hard tone in his voice. "I mark my calendar every month. On the day of the full moon, I bring myself to the deepest parts of the forest, away from hiking trails, to avoid attracting attention from people. And now, all of a sudden, you guys just swoop down on me … almost making me kill the woman I love."

An awkward silence followed. The boys noticed their pancakes beginning to grow cold and ate.

"I couldn't risk that again," continued Nanuq. "When I transform, it's like I'm trapped in an animal's body. My mind fogs over. There's nothing but hunger so intense I'll do anything my instinct leads me to satisfy it. Yes, I kill people. If I happen to transform in a city street, I'll end up killing every person in sight. There is absolutely no control."

Nanuq sighed wearily and ate his pancakes. The boys, almost halfway through theirs, looked at him warily.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs.

**Author's Note:** If you like "Wolf People", go ahead and say so; if not, say what you think anyway. I will return the favor by reading your own stories and reviewing them. ;)

**_Black and White_**

Leah would have liked to leave La Push already, but a snowstorm swept over La Push, making driving particularly dangerous. Leah had to call her manager to tell him that she had to go home to La Push because of an emergency. As she put down the receiver, Nanuq returned to the house with his coat, which he had left outside the night before. Leah watched as Nanuq anxiously looked at the coat's inner pockets and then took out two packets of heroin, a spoon and a syringe. He caught Leah's eyes and then looked away, embarrassed.

"Is that why you need it?" she asked patiently.

Nanuq nodded as he wearily sat on the couch. "My condition wouldn't have bothered me that much if it weren't for the pain," he explained. "Days before the full moon, it's like my bones anticipate the transformation or something. It hurts so bad I could barely move. Sometimes, I feel like I would die. But it's not as bad as the transformation itself. It's like my body is being torn apart."

Leah sat next to him and held his hand. He went on, "It's like destiny is making fun of me, you know? I ran away from Anaktuvuk Pass to try my luck. And then, I thought I was getting lucky. I met a family of nomads, but I only got to stay with them for a few days. I wasn't too familiar with their ways, and I got mauled by an unnaturally large wolf. My friends found me in time and managed to slay the creature, which turned back into human form upon death. Maybe they knew I was going to become like it, so they ran me through with a spear, out of mercy.

"One thing they didn't know about werewolves is that they're not as easy to kill as a polar bear. I healed and got up, and I managed to find a log truck driver kind enough to let me come along."

"And that's all that you left out of your story last time?"

"Yeah, I think that's it," said Nanuq, smiling bitterly. "Well, I did have a few junkie friends in Seattle. Imagine how thrilled I was to learn that heroin was made from morphine. Once I tried it, the pain I experience every month became a lot more bearable."

"But now you're addicted to it."

"Was there anything else I could do? Withdrawals double the pain. Sometimes, I wonder if I was even alive. Everything was like a dream for me; when I wake up, there's just pain. But since I met you, things have been a little different."

_Mind if I talk to my Beta for a moment?_ Jacob's voice said in Leah's head. It was the kind of voice he used that usually came with batting eyelashes. That was so like Jacob: cutesy when he's not taking his authority that seriously.

_Would the Alpha rather I come outside or could you come here?_ Leah asked back.

_The boys and I are in my garage. We're talking about your lover._

Leah felt a bit uncomfortable at the sound of the word when it came from Jacob.

"What's the matter?" asked Nanuq, when he noticed Leah's weird facial expressions.

"Jacob and the guys want a word with me," said Leah. "Excuse me."

Leah put on a coat, boots and a beanie hat as she went outside. She marched across the sheet of snow toward the Black family's red house. In the garage, Jacob, Embry, Quil and Seth had formed a circle. Leah stood among them, standing between Seth and Jacob. "I was talking to Nanuq; I wasn't paying attention to what you guys were talking about," said Leah.

"We were talking mostly about you," said Seth. "You're obviously hooked to him."

"We're more than willing to avoid harming him if it would keep you happy, but you have to make sure he doesn't harm anyone," said Jacob.

"He's handled it pretty well in the last ten years without me," said Leah, shrugging. "What does Sam think?"

"We're pretty much in the same wavelength, but his attitude is a little more aggressive," said Jacob. "I think he's only being jealous."

"So will you let us go when the weather improves?" asked Leah.

"Yeah," said Quil. "Besides, you would be needed to monitor the vampire population at King County."

"How did you know about that?"

"Alice Cullen has been getting visions of them lately," said Embry. "You haven't run into one, have you, Leah?"

"My friend Verne was turned. But Nanuq appeared in wolf form and tore her apart. I set her on fire the next day."

"Whoever turned her must still be in the area …" said Seth nervously.

"The Cullens encounter others of their kind from once in a while," said Jacob. "There seems to be no need to keep killing them off every time. Besides, La Push is our territory."

"So, we don't have to do anything?" asked Quil.

"Leah may give up her powers again if she wishes, that's what we're saying," said Jacob. "She doesn't have to be a vampire exterminator in Shoreline."

Leah smiled at Jacob and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Jake."

#

"Is he nice to you? You would have told me about him," Seth said to Leah, when Nanuq excused himself to shoot heroin that evening.

"He's really nice. Well, he does have a bit of a temper, but don't we all?"

"Leah," called Nanuq weakly from outside. The Clearwater siblings found him groaning and doubling over just outside the garage. "I don't feel so good," he whispered.

"Is it the heroin?" asked Seth.

"This has never happened to me before!" said Nanuq irritably. He was trembling violently. His jaws were clamped so tightly Leah feared his teeth would break.

"Okay, let's get you inside, we'll see what we can do …" said Leah, taking Nanuq's arm around her neck.

But the three hadn't gone more than five steps from the garage when Nanuq cried out in pain. Leah and Seth accidentally dropped him when they saw that he was drooling; his teeth had grown longer and sharper. His eyes had turned yellow. His black hair was growing white streaks.

Jacob, Quil and Embry heard Nanuq's shouts. So did Sam and his own gang. Leah immediately noticed the peculiarly calm expression in Sam's face, in contrast to the others' stark horror.

Leah heard the sickening sound of breaking bones. She looked back and saw Nanuq's fingers curling into claws. Leah couldn't keep watching; the others couldn't get near him.

"He's not supposed to transform again until next month!" said Leah angrily to Sam.

Meanwhile, Seth and Quil examined the used syringes in the garage. "This is not what I smelled from him last night," said Quil.

"That's poison—monkshood," said Seth. "Dad showed me how to recognize wild plants like this when we went hiking or hunting. I learned to recognize their smell too—awful."

Leah heard that bit of information from Seth's thoughts and focused her attention on Sam. "_Who_ slipped poison in Nanuq's stash?" she demanded, her eyes wild with fury.

"He can't give you the normality you've always wanted," said Sam darkly.

"The monkshood isn't supposed to make him transform out of turn, Sam!" shrilled Collin, one of the youngest members of Sam's gang.

"_Shut up_, Collin!" hissed Sam.

"You meant to kill him?" guessed Leah.

"He was going too slowly from taking so much smack," said Sam coolly.

Leah abruptly lost control and phased into wolf form. Sam transformed to defend himself. Leah dove and bit into his nape, intending to rip out his flesh and maybe even break his neck. Sam tried to dislodge her by rolling on the ground. But Leah's claws had a firm grip on his shoulders.

Leah bit harder, as she listened to the others trying to restrain the white wolf amongst them. She and Nanuq should have left La Push; the weather shouldn't have stopped her. But even then, Sam had no business messing with Nanuq's things. She was only glad that the murder attempt backfired.

Leah felt Sam's heart hammering as he slammed his back against an old tree nearby. Leah thought her back would break, but she did not let go. She held on until her mouth was dribbling with his blood. Her own body aching from the repeated hits, she lost grip, and Sam threw her off. Sam barely managed to soothe his wound when Nanuq clamped his jaws onto Sam's bloody neck.

By then, all the shape-shifters had transformed. Paul and Jared tried helping their leader, but Nanuq only bit angrily on their snouts or ears. The younger ones, Collin and Brady, were afraid to come near. Jacob, Quil and Embry also attempted to pull Nanuq away from Sam, but even as Nanuq held Sam down, Nanuq grabbed their legs or necks and tossed them away.

Leah flexed her back; her vertebrae crackled as they realigned. Horrified at the sight of Nanuq's bloodstained fur, she tried to come closer.

_Leah, don't! Nanuq won't recognize you! He'll kill you!_ Jacob warned.

Hesitating, Leah watched Sam desperately fighting back. He forcefully shrugged Nanuq off. Nanuq went off balance; Sam took advantage and lunged at the white wolf, biting his snout. Nanuq shook his head away from Sam's jaws and lunged toward Sam's throat and missed; Sam bit into Nanuq's shoulder and drew blood. Nanuq only grew angrier and tried to reach for his opponent with his jaws and claws. When that didn't work, he rolled over repeatedly on the ground, eventually tossing Sam off. Sam got up. This time, Nanuq was ready for him. White and black, the two wolves eyed one another. At exactly the same time, they darted toward each other.

The two wolves tried to wound each other's jaws, in the process wounding their muzzles. But each was as relentless as the other. Sam eventually managed to bite hard on Nanuq's snout. Nanuq whimpered momentarily and then slammed his paw against Sam's ear. He had to do this three times for Sam to let go. Nanuq pushed Sam off and then went for the black wolf's throat.

Paul and Jared growled at Leah. Seth and Embry got in the way to protect the tribe's first and only she-wolf. Jacob and Quil were still watching, horrorstruck, at the intense battle happening.

_Nanuq is really gonna kill Sam. What do we do?_ Jacob asked fearfully.

_Sam had it coming for trying to kill Nanuq, but this is becoming a bit too much, don't you think?_ Quil answered worriedly.

Sam couldn't move properly. Everybody could hear him choking. It didn't matter that Nanuq's own wounds were bleeding profusely, staining his white fur crimson. The white wolf was simply mad. The black one tried to kick and wriggle away, but his movements were growing weaker. He coughed and gagged and then fell unconscious. The other wolves had gone quiet. The white one growled awhile and then dropped his enemy.

Slowly, Leah approached the white wolf, who was coughing as he collapsed on the ground. The others attended to Sam, who had reverted to human form. _You won't hurt me, you won't hurt me_, chanted Leah as she carefully nudged Nanuq with her snout. They both glanced at Sam, who was coughing up blood. Nanuq growled weakly. Leah tried to dissuade him by nibbling and licking gently on his ear. Nanuq moaned and licked Leah's tongue.

_I'll handle this. You guys can go and help Sam if you want_, Leah told her pack.

#

Nanuq awoke before dawn. He found himself in Leah's bed, and Leah was fast asleep beside him. His body was aching all over, but it was because of the wounds, which had been cleaned and bandaged. His mouth still tasted of blood. If he could just get up and brush his teeth …

"Nanuq, are you awake?" groaned Leah.

"It wasn't a dream, was it? Did I kill him?" asked Nanuq.

"We heal too fast," grumbled Leah. "You wounded him just bad enough to keep him bleeding for hours, but now he's stable."

"Did you want me to?" asked Nanuq coldly.

"_I_ wanted to," said Leah, smiling. "But you kept him within an inch of his life. That's good enough for me. I'm sure he's learned his lesson."

After a long pause, Nanuq whispered, "We have to get out of here."

"I know," said Leah. "We leave at sunrise. We'll never go back."

"But this is your home!"

"I don't belong here anymore. I'll be fine. I got my powers under control. I just have to get away from catalysts. I was about to become truly human again, you know."

"Can you try again?"

"Yes," said Leah, just before she dozed off.


	7. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** Source and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer except OCs.

**Author's Note:** Some readers prefer to review an entire story under a single chapter and that's okay. Just express what you think whether you like the story or not. I shall return the favor.

**_A Miracle_**

Two years passed, and as promised, Leah hadn't returned to La Push since. Once more, Leah had ceased telepathic contact with her brothers and also lost all superhuman abilities. Leah had graduated from community college and was now working at a local hospital.

At the height of summer, several months since Leah's temperature became normal, she became rather moody despite the bright weather. Only one last thing wasn't normal about her: she hadn't started bleeding again yet. She was so depressed that her appetite increased, but was somehow limited to the taste of strawberries and chocolate fudge. This went on for weeks. Nanuq paid her a visit one evening, bringing with him pizza and rented DVDs of _Ginger Snaps _and _District 9_. He was startled to see Leah tear-stricken on the couch, with chocolate and red strawberry juice around her mouth.

"You never cry like this, Leah. Are you okay? I brought movies," squeaked Nanuq.

"Something's really wrong with me," sobbed Leah. She pressed her hand against her lower belly, which was as empty as it had been in years.

Nanuq bit his lip. He was better off watching _Ginger Snaps_ by himself. He sat next to her and wiped her face with a hanky. "That looks yummy," said Nanuq.

"Would you like some?" sniffed Leah.

"I don't like strawberries," said Nanuq.

"You're not allergic, are you?" asked Leah, before biting a particularly large strawberry.

"I don't like the texture," said Nanuq. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Leah. "But I do feel a bit nauseous."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you've eaten so many strawberries and chocolate. You've been doing that all week, haven't you? At first I thought it was just your perfume …"

Leah grinned at him now. "You like how I smell?"

"Are you sure you're okay now? Your mood swings are scaring me."

But Leah wasn't listening. She kissed his mouth. He was unable to resist the taste of what she had just been consuming. She was just as hungry for him, and she stripped down to her underwear. Nanuq's eyes fell momentarily on Leah's breasts. "Maybe it's just the chocolate, but it seems your cleavage is more pronounced in your bra tonight," said Nanuq.

Leah raised her eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

"Leah, we've been having unprotected sex for two years; I wouldn't be surprised if you're pregnant," explained Nanuq uneasily.

"You also know I haven't had my period in almost ten years," said Leah wearily. "I can't …"

Nanuq sighed, stripped himself and patiently indulged her desire.

#

The week later, Leah went straight to Nanuq's studio after work, snacking on dried strawberries this time. He was just putting up the "closed" sign; he opened the door and let her come in when he spotted her dark silhouette. "What brings you here, Leah?" he asked.

Leah grinned. Strawberry juice stained her lips pink. "I wish you could have been there with me. I didn't think it was possible," she said. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Oh, Leah," said Nanuq, holding her hands. "Is this for real? Are you excited?"

"I'm ecstatic!" said Leah, rolling her eyes with glee. "I couldn't get your comments out of my head, so while I was in the hospital, I got a checkup, and it's confirmed! There's a little heartbeat. I'm three months along."

"So it's healthy? There's nothing wrong with it?"

"Nothing wrong—I'm so happy," said Leah, hugging Nanuq. "But the best thing about it is that I get this present from someone special."

Leah felt Nanuq's arms holding her tightly. She looked up. He was agape with shock. "This is so much to absorb," he whispered. "I've always wondered what it's like …"

"Now we'll both know," said Leah.

Hand in hand, Leah and Nanuq left the studio and, for the first time, envisioned the future together.


End file.
